ODServatiOns albeut the world of sex

Gdaam TaTelman, Tater Witt

ex is a fascinating concept. Ever since the
ancient Sumerians bashed their records
into stone tablets for ease of reference,
human beings have been fascinated with
the magnetic force that drives people to
rut each other stupid. Many have tried
to explain it over the years, offering nebulous
concepts that don’t make very much sense. The
following observations shall seek to penetrate
this ancient mystery and uncover what defines
sexual attraction in heterosexual relations.

Observation 1: Sex is survival

We are mortal. Therefore all beings, even germs,

are driven to replace themselves. In a sense, those
who reproduce control the future. This is legacy.
Humans have the biological means to create legacies,
and we enjoy doing it. That’s why there are so many

of us. Most species are sexually dimorphic; the

male and female are identifiable by different sexual
characteristics and behaviours. The males produce the
sperm necessary for conception, and the females carry
embryos to term—with the notable exception of some
species like seahorses. Though the sexes are equal
partners in conception, they are not interchangeable
in terms of procreation. This will remain true

until gender reassignment surgery permits women

to produce sperm and men to bear children.

These are all obvious facts. Their immutable nature
is the base upon which all societal structure is

set. To some degree, everything we do as sapient
beings we do towards the goal of survival. By this
dated thinking, since most of us aren’t living in the
wild, if sex/procreation is “the goal,” then it is not
only logical but natural to conclude that males and
females of the species assume different strategies of
living and mating in order to achieve “the goal.”

Say you have a prehistoric tribe of 10, consisting of

5 men and 5 women. The tribe’s goal is to grow as
quickly as possible. They can produce five children
per year, assuming they all get along. Obviously, if a
woman dies, the number of potential births per year
will reduce. This is not true, however, even if four
out of the five men die. The women are the

limiting factor in reproduction, while
the men are more expendable, so

the logical response is for the

men to do the dangerous work:
hunting food, defending against

Cc

predators, manual labour, and so forth. This is likely
where the image of women as caregivers and men as
protectors first originated, thus simply explaining
the concepts of masculine and feminine behaviour
found throughout much of human history. They were
quite literally roles born of environmental necessity.

Observation 2: Sex is amoral

While there is a definite philosophical discussion to
be had about the idea of love in relation to mating,

I would like to discuss the popular convention that
sex is something special that people only share

with the right partner. Let us for now make a clear
demarcation between sex and romance. The former
is an instinctual urge, the rhythm of the ages. The
latter is a social concept that encourages attachment.
This is not to say that the two shall never meet in
the middle, but it is foolish to assume their parity.

Now, I do not suggest that sex is immoral; I mean
to say that mate selection is a competition. In either
instance we can impose rules
upon the situation, but

they will only hinder
those who accept
a moralistic

view of the
concept to

begin with.
Those who

do not will
inevitably |
have more

success

regardless.

There may

be a rulebook

on how to

conduct oneself
while competing,
but those who

win, win, and

those SS”